Coffins
Coffins are a death/doom band from Japan, active since 1996. They are best known for their lyrics themed heavily on gore, their deep downtuned sound and their relentless cycle of releases. As of 2020, the band has released over twenty different split releases, primarily with death metal and grindcore bands. Eventually these rare tracks end up appearing on compilations in between extended plays and to date, four full-length albums. Beginning as the original drummer, guitarist/vocalist Uchino is the main founding member since 1996. For most of their career the band had been a trio but in recent years become a quartet. History Coffins was formed in 1996 by the founding trio of Uchino, Aniki and Yoshiaki Nigeshi (Neggy). By 1997 Nigeshi would switch strictly to vocals as the band added Hirai on bass. This quartet lineup would go on to perform their first live set on 24 December 1997 at Crescend in Tokyo (With Assuck (USA), Power Of Idea, Battle Of Disarm, Slight Slappers, Fuck On The Beach and Skunk). The lineup would change up with new drummer You and Uchino switching to guitar after Aniki's departure with this lineup performing one show in 1998 on 5 May at 20000V in Tokyo (With Timisoara, 324, Lolimop, Devochika). From that point the band would go dormant, releasing a rehearsal demo in 2000. Soon after Nigeshi would depart from the group and join Church of Misery, rendering the band as a trio once Uchino took over as guitarist and vocalist and Sentou becoming the new bassist, leaving Uchino the sole original member. Live shows would pick up for Coffins throughout the next few years, sharing the stage with a host of death metal, doom metal and grindcore bands. 2005 would finally see two major releases in the groups history. The first of these releases would be Sacrifice To Evil Spirit, a reissue of the 2003 demo with bonus tracks. The second would be their debut studio album upon signing with Razorback Records in the form of Mortuary In Darkness. More shows and a host of split releases would follow along with new bassist Koreeda joining in 2006. That year the band followed up with signing with 20 Buck Spin and releasing their second studio album The Other Side of Blasphemy. Gaining further worldwide distribution Coffins would compose a third studio album entitled Buried Death and release it on 24 June 2008 via 20 Buck Spin. In support of their third album the band toured the east coast of The United States with The Endless Blockade, the band's first ever shows outside of Japan. Going into 2009 the band would perform at Earthdom alongside Sunn O))) that April, tour the West Coast of The United States with Stormcrow and compose more songs for split releases. 2010 would also see the band returning to the US for Maryland Deathfest and perform in Australia for the first time. 2011 would see the release of Ancient Torture, a 2CD compilation containing every split and EP track to that point. Leading into it's release was Coffin's first ever tour of Europe, a ten-date tour alongside Aguirre and Sourvein leading up to an appearance at Roadburn Festival. You would depart in 2011 with Ryo and later Satoshi as the drummer as the band toured outside of Japan on a more frequent basis. Later Ryo would become the lead vocalist, making the band a quartet for the first time in over a decade. Recording the demo Colossal Hole as a vocalist and later with the band signing to Relapse in 2013 Coffins would release The Fleshland on 9 July 2013; their first full-length as a quartet. After Ryo's departure that year Jun Tokita would take over as the lead vocalist as the band composed more material for split releases and EPs. Longtime bassist Koreeda would leave the group in 2015, replaced by Masafumi Atake. This lineup of Tokita, Atake, Satoshi and Uchino has since remained active with shows in Japan but have yet to record any material together, also canceling a tour of the USA in 2016 for unknown reasons. A 2CD compilation composing a host of split and EP tracks entitled Perpetual Penance saw release in 2015. Coffins would largely remain active in Japan for the next few years, before announcing their fifth album Beyond The Circular Demise in August 2019, set for release via Relapse on 20 September 2019 to critical praise. Discography Studio Albums * Mortuary In Darkness (2005, Razorback) * The Other Side of Blasphemy (2006, Imperium Productions / 20 Buck Spin) * Buried Death (2008, 20 Buck Spin) * The Fleshland (2013, Relapse) * Beyond The Circular Demise (2019, Relapse) EPs * Warhead (2009, Torture Garden Pictures Company) * Sewage Sludgecore Treatment (2012, Bones Brigade) * March of Despair (2012, Hammerheart) * Reborn (2012, Decibel Magazine) * Live in Japan (2013, Hydro-Phonic Records) * Craving to Eternal Slumber (2015, Hammerheart) * Noise Room Sessions 2014 (2016, Heavy Metal Vomit Party) Demos * Reh Demo '00 (2000, Independent) * Demo 2003 (2003, Independent) * Colossal Hole (2013, Independent) Compilations * Sacrifice To Evil Spirit (2005, Living Dead Society) * Ancient Torture (2011, Deepsend) * Perpetual Penance (2015, Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) Splits * Self-Deprecation and Loathing / Torture (With Mala Suerte) (2005, Independent) * Coffins / Otesanek (With Otesanek) (2006, Parasitic) * Cianide / Coffins (With Cianide) (2007, Famine) * Coffins / The Arm and Sword of a Bastard God (With The Arm and Sword of a Bastard God) (2007, 20 Buck Spin) * D.D.D.H. - Doomed to Death, Damned in Hell (With Anatomia, Grudge) (2007, Grindmind) * The Cracks of Doom (With XXX Maniak) (2008, Enucleation) * Coffins / Skullhog (With Skullhog) (2008, No Escape) * Coffins / Spun in Darkness (With Spun in Darkness) (2009, Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) * Eat Your Shit / Lobotomized (With Lobotomized) (2009, Plague Island) * Stormcrow / Coffins (With Stormcrow) (2010, 20 Buck Spin) * Hooded Menace / Coffins (With Hooded Menace) (2010, Doomentia) * Coffins / Warhammer (With Warhammer) (2010, Break The Chains) * Grotesque Messiah / Foxy Lady (With Disgrace) (2010, A Pile of Dirt Music) * Dingy Haunt / Axes of Vengeance (With Sourvein) (2012, Forcefield) * In Quarantine with Death (With Macabra) (2012, Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) * Noothgrush / Coffins (With Noothgrush) (2013, Southern Lord Records) * Unholy Grave / Coffins (With Unholy Grave) (2015, Dark Side of Punk) * Coffins / Butcher ABC (With Butcher ABC) (2015, Obliteration) * Coffins / Ilsa (With Ilsa) (2016, Relapse) * Live at Asakusa Deathfest 2016 (With Skeletal Remains, Rude, Carnation) (2017, Obliteration Records) * Nine Cocoons of Dens to F (With Second To None) (2018, Daymare Recordings) * Cardiac Arrest / Coffins (With Cardiac Arrest) (2019, Haunted Hotel Records) Members Current Members * Uchino AKA Ucchy - Drums (1996 - 1997), Guitars, Vocals (1998 - Present) * Satoshi - Drums (2011 - Present) * Jun Tokita - Vocals (2013 - Present) * Masafumi Atake - Bass, Vocals (2015 - Present) Former Members * Yoshiaki Nigeshi - Bass, Vocals (1996), Vocals (1997 - 2000, 2004) * Aniki - Guitars (1996 - 1998) * Hirai - Bass (1997 - 2000) * You - Drums (1998 - 2009) * Nobuyaki Sentou - Bass (2002 - 2005) * Koreeda - Bass, Vocals (2006 - 2015) * Ryo - Drums (2010 - 2011), Vocals (2011 - 2013) Tours * Buried Death East Coast USA Tour (With Endless Blockade) (2008) * Buried Death West Coast USA Tour (With Stormcrow) (2009) * 2010 Australian Tour (2010) * 2011 European Tour (With Aguirre, Sourvein) (2011) * 2012 European Tour (With Skullhog, Hooded Menace) (2012) * 2013 European Tour (2013) * 2013 Japan Tour (With Noothgrush) (2013) * 2014 North American Tour (With Bones) (2014) * 2015 European Tour (2015) * 2016 North American Tour (With Noothgrush) (2016; Canceled) * 2019 Japan Tour (With Bell Witch, Primitive Man) (2019) * *'May 2020 North American Tour' (With Bell Witch, Petrification, Ilsa) (2020)Bell Witch Facebook External Links *Facebook *Bandcamp *Gig History References Category:Band Category:Death/Doom Category:Japan Category:Kantō Category:Coffins Category:20 Buck Spin Category:Relapse Records Category:1996